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Class
of '78, University of Pennsylvania
Description:
"Class of '78, University of Pennsylvania" [on the steps
of College Hall]
Pencilled inscription: "From R. Bowden Shepherd"
Note: There is a large wooden razor near the upper left corner
of this photograph. This razor was presented to Harry "Hairy"
McDowell of the Class of 1878 in honor of his remaining unshaven during
all four years of his undergraduate career. The presentation of this
award included a rather lengthy oration on McDowell's strange behavior
by William P. Breed, Jr. of the Class of 1878. This speech is recorded
in full within the Record (yearbook) of 1878. Here, Breed
tells a spurious third hand story about the source of McDowell's shaving
taboo with McDowell speaking to a Mr. Clark:
"'It was one night, ' said he, 'during our Freshman year. My
voluntary hours at Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Mathematics, Physics, Sanskrit,
Saxon, Arabic, Hindoostanic, Choctaw, and Cherokee had detained me
until eleven post meridian, and, having still a little life in me,
I determined to amuse myself during the rest of the night in working
problems in Chauvenet. But, being at length exhausted, I fell asleep,
and beheld a vision. A man of noble proportions and familiar visage
stood before me flourishing a "nopen norgan" pipe in one
hand, and a diploma in the other, and demanding as I loved him I should
not touch razor to my face until the square of the cosine of the angle,
formed by the two hairs immediately under my left ear, should be to
that upon my chin inversely as the radii vectores of Mercury and Venus.'
"
Photographer:
Suddards & Pennemore, photographers, 820 Arch St., Philadelphia
Date: 1878
Medium:
Matted photograph
Photo: 9.5 x 12.5 inches
Mat: 11.5 x 14.5 inches
Location:
University Archives, The University of Pennsylvania
Photograph Collection, Groups and Events Series
Oversize Box
Digital Reference:
20040219002
For use of digital images consult:
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